Navigation mit Access Keys

Sprachmenü

Hauptnavigation

News

... off to the Quarter Finals

20.06.2005 | Tennis

Roger showed glimpses of his best form and flashes of nerves as he beat Juan Carlos Ferrero on Centre Court to reach the last eight today: 6-3 6-4 7-6 (8-6). In a high-quality match, Ferrero showed that he is well on the way to regaining the form that made him world number one two years ago. But after struggling with his forehand early on, Roger - who had been a little below par in the first week - moved up a gear today. Roger now takes on Fernando Gonzalez, who continued his best-ever run at Wimbledon by beating Russia's Mikhail Youzhny. Ominously for the other seven players left in the men's draw, the winner of the last four encounters between Federer and Ferrero has gone on to win the title at the tournament. <hr/>

Roger twice rallied from a service break down in the final set on Saturday to beat Nicolas Kiefer 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-5 in the third round at Wimbledon. Roger hit consecutive double-faults to fall behind 5-3 in the fourth set, and in the next game Kiefer was twice two points from forcing a fifth set. But Kiefer double-faulted to lose serve, then lost serve again to fall behind 6-5. Roger hit three aces and a feathery backhand winner in the next game to close out the victory, his 32nd in a row on grass and his 17th in a row at the All England Club. No 23 Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, reached the fourth round to equal his best showing at Wimbledon. He rallied and eliminated 2004 Wimbledon quarter-finalist Florian Mayer 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 and will meet Roger in the next round on Monday.

Roger turned on the style to glide into the third round of Wimbledon with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Roger chalked up his 31st successive grasscourt victory by defeating his 99th-ranked opponent for the second time this season. Although Minar had managed to wrangle a set off Roger in Dubai earlier this year, there was not too much threat of him repeating that feat Wednesday. He broke the 21-year-old Minar at the end of each of the first two sets before piling on the pressure in the third. Roger's ninth ace of the contest was enough to end Minar’s challenge after 82 minutes. His next opponent will be the winner of the match between Nicolas Kiefer (GER/25) and Italy's Alessio Di Mauro.

Roger extended his winning streak on grass to 30 matches to launch the defence of his Wimbledon crown today. He beat France's Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 6-2 6-4 in glorious sunshine on Centre Court as he began his quest for a third straight title. Roger broke Mathieu in the opening game of the match and then hammered down four aces to consolidate his advantage. Mathieu saved two more break points in the next game and surprisingly broke back to level at 2-2, only to lose his serve again immediately after. This time Roger was not about to give his opponent a second chance and served out for the set. Roger stepped up a gear to take the second set with two breaks of serve and never looked in any danger of being fully extended by his opponent, who is more at home on clay and had won just one match in his previous two appearances at Wimbledon. The first eight games of the third set went with serve until Roger made the vital breakthrough. Mathieu saved two break points before firing a forehand just beyond the baseline to allow Roger to serve out for the match after one hour and 49 minutes.